Hi ladies! I hope everyone had a lovely Labor Day Weekend! I certainly enjoyed myself this weekend. Lots of family, friends and laughter!
Anyway, I wanted to come on here and talk about a topic that in my opinion, is very important! Today’s subject is hair extensions. The reason I find this topic so necessary is because there are a lot of mixed feelings and reviews out there regarding hair extensions.
For me personally, if my hair is not good, I don’t feel good. Doesn’t matter how good my outfit or makeup is…I need my hair on my point as well!
So if you couldn’t tell already, I myself, wear hair extensions. I’ve been wearing hair extensions since I was 17 years old so I’ve had approximately 10 years of experience with different hair extensions, colors and brands. There’s been so many times I wanted to purchase new brands of extensions but can’t find the information I need. In a world where blogging has taken over advertising, I often feel like I’m not given the truth because its either sponsored of paid reviews. I thought it would be beneficial and informative to give my 100% honest opinion on extensions I’ve used.
Before we get started, I just wanted to mention a few things. My hair has always been mid to long in length. It takes me a long time to grow and I don’t think I’ve ever been satisfied with how long its gotten. I think the thing I enjoy most about wearing extensions is that they hold the style more than my natural hair. I can curl my natural hair and before I even leave my house, they’re already gone or flat. My hair is naturally wavy, it is not thick enough for my liking. I’ve realized over time that the issue I have with my own hair is not so much how long it is, but rather how thick it is. I’ve dyed my hair several different colors over the years and I style my hair with heat tools often so of course there are some signs of damage and breakage.
I’m going to start my hair extension journey from the very beginning. When I was a teen, I heard about hair extensions but never realized how many people actually wore them. I always saw girls with gorgeous long and thick hair and dreamed of having that. My cousin is the one who got me started. She bought hair extensions from this local beauty supply store downtown and raved about how good they were. They claimed to be 100% human hair so you can dye them, style them and cut them but I soon found out that was not the case. At the time, these extensions cost around $80, which for me was a lot but so worth it! They came in only a few colors and were between 12″-18″ long. Some of them were straight in the package and others were curly. Since this was circa 2007, I only wore my hair pin straight. They came on one long weft so my mom had to cut them to fit my head and sew on extension clips (bought separately). For those who don’t know, a weft is the part of the extension that the hair is sewn or glued to and clips are applied. It’s the part of the extension that is hidden at the top. Most hair extensions already come cut to fit with the clips on them but this was back in the day before extensions really took off and these were what would now be known as “cheap” extensions. I don’t recall the brand or how thick in grams they were but I do recall that they did not last long and I was probably better off not wearing extensions at all. After a few weaks of brushing, styling and washing the extensions, hair would fall out of the wefts in clumps. Looking back at pictures of me wearing these extensions, I cringe! They were so straggly and thin and I can totally see that was not my “real” hair. The whole point of extensions is to try and match them as close to your hair as possible so that people don’t think you wear extensions. When choosing extensions, its important to make sure the extensions you wear are not thinner than your natural hair. It simply does not look good. The only good thing I can say about these extensions are that they are inexpensive and can be found in your local beauty supple store so its easier to color match your hair and purchase them in a timely manner without having to order them online. You get what you pay for and see what you pay for.
After years of using the cheap clip-in extensions, I wanted to try something a little more permanent. Although I love clip-ins, the biggest issue for me is it becomes timely to clip them in and then take them out every day. Its never a good idea to leave clip-ins in your head overnight as this can be damaging to your natural hair and uncomfortable to sleep in. Side note- clip in extensions cause little to no damage when used properly that’s why I love them so much. Anyway, I knew this girl who had fused-in hair extensions and raved about them. She gave a shout out to this local hairstylist who does them and I reached out to her to setup and appointment for Kera-Link fused-in hair extensions. Kera-Link hair extensions are 100% Remy human hair strands attached to a square-shaped Keratin protein bond that is wrapped around your natural hair in small sections and melted onto the root of your hair with a heat tool.
These extensions can last between 3-6 months depending how well you take care of them. Because they are fused onto your natural hair, they will eventually grow out and you will need to have them removed and reattached closer to your scalp by a certified professional. I got a full head of the fused in extensions which means you’re getting roughly 180g of hair fused in. It took about 3 hours to do and if I remember correctly, cost about $350. At first I loved them because it was amazing to wake up in the morning with long beautiful hair. In about 3 months, I started to dislike the way it looked because the bonds started growing out and showing through my hair. Eventually they started falling out when I brushed them and my ends would look choppy and stringy. I didn’t like the fact that I couldn’t wear my hair in a high bun or high pony without them being seen. It was also a real pain when it was time to wash my hair. I had to be extra careful when washing my hair not to pull too much on the bonds. I love taking care of my hair, but I’m someone who likes simplicity and they were too much work for me. Eventually, they all fell out naturally and I never went back to have them reattached. My hairdresser always trys to suggest I do the fused-in hair extensions because for someone who wears extensions every day, it really is a good investment. I’m not totally against putting them back in but I just think I’m more comfortable wearing clip-ins. I like the way clip-ins look better and sometimes I like the feeling of not having extensions attached to my head. If you wear extensions like me, you know one of the best feelings is taking them out at the end of the day!
When I finally took out all of the fused in extensions, I wanted to try a new brand of clip-ins that were a little more high end than the “cheap” ones I used to buy from the beauty supply. I came across a YouTube channel for Luxy Hair and knew I wanted to buy them. The before and after pictures and videos they made looked incredible. I bought the 20″, 160g set and I ended up really loving these hair extensions. For several months after, I repurchased them. They cost $159 which isn’t too expensive for a high end brand. Unfortunately, the last set I ordered at the time, I noticed the quality wasn’t as good as they used to be. The hair was falling out from the very beginning and and they got tangled and matted in only 2 months. If taken care of properly, high end extensions should last for at least 3-6 months. At this point, I was kind of fed up with them and wanted to try something new.
After doing a little research, I came across this company based out of the UK called, SKR Hair. They had 20″, 185g extensions for a cheaper price than the Luxy’s. I think they were around $110. For me, the larger the Gram of hair, the thicker and better. These were my absolute fave. The quality and thickness were so good! I reordered these several times and never came across any quality issues.
I don’t know why but I am one of those people who are easily influenced by others. More specifically, if a beauty guru I like raves about a product and offers a coupon code, chances are, I’m going to buy it. This brings me to probably one of the most talked about brands…Bellami! If you have an Instagram and follow any beauty influencers, chances are you’ve heard of Bellami. I followed their social media and loved all the looks posted using their extensions and I really wanted to see what all the hype was about. My color at the time was a chocolate brown color (usually #4 for most of the extensions I bought). I purchased a pair of the Bellisima 22″, 220g extensions and when I got them, I was extremely dissapointed. They cost $209, which at the time were the most expensive clip-in extensions I’ve purchased. The color was nothing like a chocolate brown and were not anything like the photos on their website. They were a very reddish color and looked super thin. I ended up contacting customer service and sending them back. Their customer service was good and refunded me the money right away. After this experience, I decided to go back to SKR hair and again, was extremely happy with them as usual.
Photo Credit: Bellami
Fast forward to about a year ago, I saw a picture of the beautiful Jessica Burciaga wearing her line of Bellami Burciaga Blends Ombre extensions. The Burciaga Blends are 20″, 200g and cost $239. At the time, I wanted to do Balayage/ Ombre hair after having a solid color for many years. I decided to give Bellami a try again and bought these. They blended really beautifully in my hair and the quality was excellent. I had them for about 5 months.
As time went on, I kept lightening the ends of my natural hair so there would be a huge contrast between my roots and ends. I kept seeing influencers talk about the Balayage Guy Tang collection Bellami offers. I thought they would be a perfect match for me and I really wanted to try a product endorsed by Guy Tang because as a hairstylist, he is really talented.
I ordered the Balayage 20″, 160g set and at first I really liked them because I loved the color of them but in comparison to the Burciaga Blends, they were just not as thick and did not last me as long. They cost $249 so they were the most expensive clip-in extensions I ever bought and for the cost, the amount of grams of hair you get is just not enough. They lasted me about 3 months until they started looking dry and matted. I probably could have used them a little longer but I ended up dying my hair to a solid dark brown color so they would not have matched.
A few weeks ago, I had a very important event to go to so I needed extensions and I wanted ones that were going to look flawless. I was going to try and order the SKR Hair extensions again but unfortunately, could not find their website. I’m not sure if they went out of business or changed their name but I found little info. about them which to me was really upsetting. Since I couldn’t order the SKR, I was going to give Bellami a try and order the 22″, 220g Bellisima extensions again but unfortunately, they were on back-order and I needed them fast.
My last resort was to try Luxy Hair again after years of not using them. I recently saw they launched a few new products and I was curious to try. I ordered the 20″, 220g Full Head Set and have been using them for about two weeks now. They cost $209 and for the price, I have to say that I am extremely impressed with the quality and thickness so far. These are the thickest extensions I’ve owned. I haven’t had much fallout and they stay really smooth and soft all day. Obviously 2 weeks is not enough time to give my full review on them but I think I’m going to really like them.
I will keep you updated on my experience with Luxy’s as time goes on. I think the most important thing to take from this post is to not always believe what you see online and that price does not always signify quality. Hair extensions have been a huge trial and error situation for me. I’m glad I got to try many of the different brands and see what works for me. That brings up another point, what works for me, may not necessarily work for you. I think its a good idea to try and see if things are good for you even if I had a bad experience with them. There are so many additional brands out there but for the most part, I stick to what I know and I’ve learned from experience that sometimes change isn’t always for the better. I hope you found this post informational when choosing hair extensions. If you have any additional questions or need help choosing, please feel free to comment below or message me! Xo
I recently dyed my hair blonde balayage and because I have golden undertones, my hairdresser suggested a purple shampoo to tone my hair and keep it from getting brassy. In the past, I’ve used the Clairol Shimmer Lights shampoo and although I think it’s one of the most popular ones in the stores, I feel like it dries my hair out and its not a shampoo that should be used daily. It’s more of an every other wash shampoo. I was in Target and I came across the Kristen Ess Purple Conditioner ($10) and I have been obsessed! I’ve been using it with the Kristen Ess The One Signature Shampoo and the first thing I love is the smell. You guys, I can’t say enough about how amazing this smells. It’s so clean and fresh and the scent lasts for days! I’ve been going around to my fiancé and family and making them smell my hair because it is THAT good. It also leaves my hair super clean and smooth feeling. Sometimes after washing your hair, you get that gritty/ heavy feeling like you just put product in it and I hate that! This stuff moisturizes and is so lightweight. Highly, highly recommend! Even if you don’t have blonde hair, you need to buy something from the Kristen Ess collection. I have never heard of this brand and I’m not sure if its new but I noticed they had a bunch of other shampoos and conditioners to meet different hair-specific needs so I would def. check it out!
Staying on the subject of hair, I never realized how important a hair brush is but for the past few months, I’ve been using the Original Detangler Wet Brush and it’s been working great. It combs through my hair easily and is good for someone who wears extensions because it doesn’t snag or pull. Unfortunately, last week I knocked my brush off my vanity and it fell in the toilet LOL (of all the places!). Anyway, I immediately threw it out so I was in the market for a new one. I wanted to get another Wet Brush but while I was in that section, I found the Shine Enhancer Wet Brush and it’s been great! It’s just as effective as the Original but it has 100% Natural Boar Bristles in between the IntelliFlex Bristles the Original brush has so it makes your hair shine as it detangles. Definitely has been my new fave!
Last, but not least, I would say one of my most sought after products is a good primer. I’ve found a few that I like, but so far nothing has really worked on hiding my pores and keeping my makeup in place all day. I always get oily around my T-Zone so it’s important I find a primer that is good for an oily complexion. I think a long time ago, I had a sample size of the Dr. Brandt Skincare pores no more primer and I want to say that I liked it but sometimes samples are not enough to fully form an opinion on a product. After reading a few reviews, I picked it up at Sephora and it has been working wonders! It immediately blurs out my pores and gives a slight coverage on my face without any other makeup. The smell is a bit “medicine” like but I kind of like it because it feels like something that is working to improve my skin and not just clog my pores. I’ve been using this stuff for about a week now and it has done a really good job at keeping my oil under control like no other primer has done. It also blends out evenly and doesn’t dry up too fast upon application. I think it’s a great base for a full-coverage, flawless face routine!
La Bella Vita 
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